I really like towel turbans for two main reasons: 1) they’re smaller and therefore lighter than a full towel, making them less of a pain in the neck, and 2) they stay on my head without flopping around and falling off (which makes it super easy to do stuff, especially stuff requiring moving around, much more convenient). Now, I have several that came from those cheap junk catalogs. But the problem with these is that, well, they’re cheap. The material is super thin and doesn’t absorb water very well. Plus, for some reason, these junk catalog turbans are serious lint magnets in the dryer!

To remedy the issues I had with the junk catalog towel turbans, I decided to put some of our older towels into action by making my own. The result was PERFECT! These DIY towel turbans are higher quality, more absorbent, and they just look pretty! Plus, they were SO EASY to throw together. Here’s how I did it.

What You Need

a towel (this is a great use of an older towel or a cheap discount store one)
scissors
pinking shears
Sharpie marker (or a piece of chalk)
straight pins
thread
ribbon
sewing machine (and bobbin with some of the thread on it), optional (you could hand sew it)

What You Do

This project does kinda require a sewing machine (you could hand sew it if you like), but it’s super easy so all you need to know is how to sew a basic straight stitch. This project from start to finish (including cutting and pinning) took me a grand total of about 10 minutes to make one turban.

step 1 fold towel — **Step 1:** Fold the towel in half lengthwise, wrong side out (the “wrong” side is the side of the towel that will ultimately be the inside of the turban).

Step 2: Draw a shape that roughly resembles half of a teardrop. Make it about 1/2 inch top big for the seam allowance. If you have an existing towel turban, you can use it as a pattern (just be sure to draw an extra 1/2 inch for the seam allowance). — **Step 2:** Draw a shape that roughly resembles half of a teardrop. Make it about 1/2″ too big for the seam allowance. If you have an existing towel turban, you can use it as a pattern (just be sure to draw an extra 1/2″ for the seam allowance). Keep this pattern off of any decorative stripes that the towel might have.

Step 3: Cut out the shape, making sure to cut through both layers of the towel. This is best done on a hard, flat surface. — **Step 3:** Cut out the shape, making sure to cut through both layers of the towel. This is best done on a hard, flat surface. Leave the selvage (finished edge along the bottom) intact.

Step 4: Fold a strip of ribbon into a loop that is 2 to 3 inches long and position it in between the two layers of towel as illustrated above, about 1/2 inch from the finished edge. — **Step 4:** Fold a strip of ribbon into a loop that is 2 to 3 inches long and position it in between the two layers of towel as illustrated above, about 1/2″ from the finished edge.

Step 5: Secure the ribbon between the two layers with a straight pin. — **Step 5:** Secure the ribbon between the two layers with a straight pin.

Step 6: Pin the raw edges of the two layers together. — **Step 6:** Pin the raw edges of the two layers together.

Step 7: Sew along the raw edges, leaving about a 1/2" seam. — **Step 7:** Sew along the raw edges, leaving about a 1/2″ seam. Be sure to sew over the ribbon back and forth several times to ensure it’s good and secure. I used just a basic straight stitch, but you could use a zig zag stitch if you like (or a serger if you have one).

Step 8: Cut the excess fabric off using pinking shears. — **Step 8:** Cut off the excess fabric outside the seams using pinking shears.

step 9 turn right side out — **Step 9:** Turn the towel turban right side out and you’re done!

How To Use It

The towel turban is super easy to use, especially if you’ve ever used one of the cheap ones. Here are the simple directions. And let me tell you, these pictures were hard to take (did them myself) so I hope they’re helpful!

TIP: Wash the turban before using it for the first time. I did not and, as a result, had bits of the towel from where I cut stuck in my hair! It looked like I had blue dandruff.

Voila!

And that’s it! I hope you found this DIY towel turban tutorial helpful. Please leave me a comment below if you have any questions or, if you made this turban using my tutorial, feel free to share what colors you used. I have a thing for aqua blue and red EVERYTHING now, which was the reasoning behind my color choices.

Oh, and before I go…these towel turbans are so easy to make, you could make one to give away as a homemade gift! For a polished touch, roll it up and tie it with a matching ribbon.

TIP: When washing your towel turban, it’s best to do so without any fabric softeners (in the washer or in the dryer). Fabric softeners reduce the towel’s absorbency, hence the reason they’re best avoided. I personally use wool dryer balls which do an amazing job at keeping everything soft and static free.